Cyber Monday is basically the online retailers’ version of Black Friday and is considered the busiest day of the year for online shoppers and sellers alike. The National Retail Federation (NRF) estimates 96.6 million Americans to shop this Cyber Monday, an 11.5 million increase from 2008’s 85 million, while 87.1% of retailers are going to have a special promotion for the said event.

With such great numbers of shoppers and promotions expected to flood the Web, it is certain that shoppers and sellers aren’t the only ones who will be busy. Cybercriminals are surely bound to leverage on this busy day, that is why users should keep their guards up and watch out for the following ploys that are likely to arise:

Tainted shopping search results: Searching for the best deals might bring about some malware-related complications, as search results related to popular sales and well-sought-out products can be manipulated to lead to malicious websites.

Phishing spree: Phishers will surely anticipate the throngs of online shoppers who will key in their credit card details as they make their purchases and deploy phishing attacks in hopes of stealing information.

Fake receipts used as bait: As non-online shoppers are readily given a receipt on hand as the transaction takes place, online shoppers also are provided receipts through email or other means. Unfortunately, this becomes a convenient leeway for cybercriminals, using fake receipts as bait, in luring users to open files that contain malware.

Despite the expected increase in online shoppers, the NRF expressed that the shoppers aren’t likely to go on careless shopping sprees due to the still-lingering effects of recession. The users, NRF states, are forced to stick to necessities in terms of their purchases.

We strongly suggest that users extend their cautiousness in choosing their purchases to their online shopping habits as well. The Trend Micro Smart Protection Network can and will protect Trend Micro users from these threats by blocking malicious spam emails and URLs and detecting malicious files.

Other users are advised to stay protected and keep in mind that everyone is out for a quick and seamless bargain even cybercriminals.

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Monday, November 30th, 2009
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